What Is It: The ITRC recently received a report from a victim about this online account takeover –

After the victim’s Facebook account was hacked, cybercriminals contacted all of the victim’s friends using Facebook messenger, alerting them that Western Union has a new reward for them – all they have to do is simply send money to get even more money back. The individuals are instructed to call a phone number to receive the reward. The thieves then ask for a photocopy of the person’s Driver’s License and the password to their Facebook account “in order to verify authenticity” of the individual. The victim then has their Facebook account taken over and is exposed to other types of fraud.

What Are They After: Personal Information

How Can You Avoid It:

Do not give out account information to someone you do not know.

Be aware of social media account takeover and ask your friends directly about the message if you receive anything suspicious.

Report the scam to Facebook by clicking “Actions” in messenger and “Report”

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here.